Health insurance is always a hot topic politically. At the end of the day, what matters most is the protection it offers you and your family. The right health insurance plan gives you peace of mind when you or someone you love becomes ill. Many people still get their health insurance through an employer, but if you are a student or self-employed, it might make sense to access insurance that is not dependent on any one workplace. You can get excellent coverage without the help of a company plan.
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, which became law in 2010, will require states to provide easy access to insurance plans for all their residents through online insurance marketplaces starting in late 2013, but there are already many good options for finding insurance online. A number of excellent medical insurance providers make it easy to zero in on a plan and price that are right for you. You can conduct research, get health insurance quotes and purchase a plan without ever leaving your home. We found several good options but were especially impressed with Humana, UnitedHealthOne and Aetna. For even more information, read our articles about individual health insurance.
The right individual health insurance provider offers a wide selection of plans that fit specific needs, plans that allow you to focus on healing from an illness rather than worrying about paying bills. The strongest health insurance companies have experience and a reputation for excellence. They make the entire experience as smooth as can be, from finding and buying the right policy to managing it. The following are the specific criteria we used to find the best health insurance providers:
Features
Quality private health insurance providers offer a wide range of plan types. You should be able to find just what you want – health savings account plans, copayment plans or short-term plans – at a price that fits your budget. We like the providers that make it easy to add features like dental, vision and other coverage too, so that you can manage all of your insurance needs in one place if you like. The best health insurance providers have many years of experience and large networks of doctors and hospitals, so you know that you can work with the health care providers you like and trust.
Coverage
A great health insurance company offers great plans. We compared the deals we could find for typical health insurance shoppers and considered the quality of the coverage for the price. The best plans pay a generous share of the bill for everything you would expect and a few extras as well. We looked for companies that offer many options for individuals and families so that you can find a monthly premium and annual deductible that work well for your specific situation.
Ease of Use
The best providers make it simple to find and manage the best plan for you and your family with online tools. You should be able to get quotes easily and even apply online. We like the companies that map out the details of every plan clearly on their sites so that there are no surprises.
Help & Support
Health insurance is a complicated topic that will likely illicit questions from many consumers, so companies that offer health insurance plans need to be accessible to clients through many channels. Their websites should offer a lot of information, and customer service agents should be easy to contact via email or telephone.
Finding the best health insurance plan can be difficult, but the best providers remove much of the pain by offering a wide selection of high quality plans from which you can choose one that suits your individual needs. These companies make it easy to find the perfect plan and then stand by you with great customer service.
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| Rank | #1 | #2 | #3 | #4 | #5 | #6 | #7 | #8 | #9 | #10 |
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Humana | UnitedHealthOne | Aetna | Anthem BlueCross BlueShield | Celtic | Assurant | SelectHealth | Kaiser Permanente | Cigna | Coventry |
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| Ratings | 9.90 | 9.43 | 8.90 | 8.68 | 8.55 | 8.43 | 8.13 | 8.05 | 7.78 | 5.58 |
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| Features | ||||||||||
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| Life | ||||||||||
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| States Covered | 27 | 32 | 23 | 12 | 32 | 44 | 2 | 10 | 10 | 22 |
| Years in Business | 51 | 38 | 162 | 20 | 34 | 120 | 28 | 67 | 30 | 26 |
| Individual Coverage | ||||||||||
| Individual Plan Selection | 100 | 95 | 90 | 85 | 85 | 80 | 75 | 80 | 90 | 45 |
| Lowest Monthly Price | $59.25 | $40.67 | $73 | $54 | $77.80 | $61.81 | $68 | $119 | $92 | $55.92 |
| Best Value Monthly Price | $135.38 | $99.12 | $102 | $93 | $96.95 | $104.93 | $101 | $188 | $102 | $104.58 |
| Annual Deductible | $2,500 | $2,500 | $2,500 | $6,000 | $5,000 | $5,000 | $1,500 | $2,000 | $5,500 | $2,500 |
| Out of Pocket Max | $2,000 | $5,000 | $5,000 | $10,500 | $7,000 | $3,500 | $5,000 | $4,000 | $10,000 | $5,500 |
| Routine Office Visits | $35 | $35 | $30 | $30 | $30 | 20% | $25 | $30 | $20 | $30 |
| Generic Prescription | $15 | $15 | $15 | $15 | $15 | $15 | $10 | $10 | $40 | $10 |
| Outpatient Surgery | 20% | 30% | 40% | 25% | 20% | $200 | 20% | 30% | 30% | 40% |
| Emergency Room | 20% | 30% | $350 | 25% | $250 | $75 | $250 | 30% | $500 | $250 |
| Mental Health | ||||||||||
| Family Coverage | ||||||||||
| Family Plan Selection | 100 | 95 | 100 | 90 | 75 | 75 | 70 | 80 | 85 | 50 |
| Lowest Monthly Price | $279.57 | $186.15 | $379 | $254 | $331.13 | $237.74 | $259 | $538.29 | $384 | $257.77 |
| Best Value Monthly Price | $412.88 | $344.68 | $529 | $370 | $404.91 | $399.96 | $406 | $585 | $426 | $416.13 |
| Annual Deductible | $4,000 | $5,000 | $5,000 | $10,000 | $10,000 | $10,000 | $10,000 | $12,000 | $11,000 | $5,000 |
| Out of Pocket Max | $4,000 | $5,000 | $10,000 | $17,000 | $12,000 | $7,000 | $13,000 | $5,000 | $10,000 | $21,000 |
| Routine Office Visits | $35 | $35 | $30 | $40 | $15 | 20% | $25 | $50 | $40 | $25 |
| Generic Prescription | $15 | $15 | $15 | $15 | $10 | $15 | $10 | $15 | $15 | $10 |
| Outpatient Surgery | 20% | 30% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 20% | 20% | 40% | 30% | 30% |
| Emergency Room | 20% | 30% | $350 | 30% | $250 | $75 | $250 | 40% | $500 | $500 |
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